After Lunch, we separate to get to our classes. Tom and Sally walk off to their class, Science. Alexandra and I are now heading to our classes, which are on the 2nd floor. Our school has two floors, but it's a very wide school so that's how they probably fit all the kids.

"What class am I going to?" I ask Alexandra as we walk through the almost empty hall. The windows on the far ends of the hallway and windows in between the classroom doors shine our path (the marble like floor).

"How can you forget? I'm going to Math and you are going to Biology, I think?" she replies with the usual nod of her curly head.

"See, you don't even know," I banter. Before she can reply, the conversation is forgotten as the loud ring of the bell echoes through the school.

Both of our heads bounce, looking up at the sound of the bell, the gray ceiling above stares at us with no answer.

From my peripheral view, Alex's brown hair pops wide while tips from my ponytail drip down my forhead and eyes. My ponytails are never tight, often slicing my view, and I bat them away as we both look forward again.

Both in silent recognition, we realize that the halls are deserted, everybody's already in class. Moreover, Alexandra and I are all alone in the hallway. The scattered kids from before are no more, and we're late to class.

"Shouldn't we run to our class?"

"Nah, Mrs.Turnshi will never notice. But maybe you should?" Alexandra states, her voice light and dreamy though her words might be considered serious. 

We continue to walk as though nothing has happened.

We then reach Alexandra's door and wave goodbye. She smiles at me, and probably at one of her thoughts, as she enters the classroom. I just shake my head with an amused smile.

With no rush, my footsteps echo through the end of the hall as I patter down the gray corridor. The sunlight glistens off the forest green lockers and the pristine floor, making it seem like the hallway is all for me. It's making me care even less about being late as I don't want to leave this tranquil moment of solitude.

Reaching closer to my classroom, I walk next to the lockers, leaving the middle where space seems to envelop me from all sides. That's when I suddenly see a figure in the distance.

Great, a professor, I think, but then the figure disappears.

Quick to react, my eyes widen as they search the empty hall, looking for the figure that had been there only a moment before. When nothing catches my eye, a relieved sigh escapes me as my shoulders relax. Blaming my active imagination, I roll my eyes, and just as I'm about to feel relaxed once more, I begin to judge my reaction.

What's wrong with me?
Why was I worried?
Who cares where the figure went and who it was, and if they saw me?

Mad at myself for growing things out of proportion, I mean, it's natural to see a teacher in the hallway and a student, like me, I grow confused: Why do I care?

The thoughts bothering me, I try to brush them aside, justifying that the person trying to scare me is the problem - Not Me!

I continue my way to class, shaking any further thoughts out of me as the steps I take create a rhythm, making me focus on the present.

I get closer and closer to the last door of the hall.

I stare at the celing for my last few steps, maybe to help me feel calm with no care in the world again, but the ceiling isn't interesting, so I look back forward.

I've reached the classroom, and I turn towards the hollow in wall where the door resides. 

I'm about to step forward, but my action stops when, out of nowhere, someone pops out of their hiding spot in that hollow space where the door is!

I jerk back, still trying to feel like my normally unbothered self, but my eyebrows crease in confusion by the sudden surprise. But then my gaze immediately switches to annoyance when my eyes blink up, scanning the person right in front of me. Starting from his long legs up to his smug face, also an expression with no care in the world as it showed in his smirky look, it seemed he didn't realize that he was blocking my way.

It's Andrew.

He's leaning against the wall in between the lockers and the door, which I'm supposed to go in.

He looks so casual, looking down, not even caring about the small jumpscare I received, pretending as if he doesn't see me. His brown hair covers the look in his eyes, but I can see his smirk all the while as his tall body leans against the wall, obviously having done this on purpose.

Though some might find it cute, I was thinking of ignoring him and going on with my day and entering my class, I'm here now so no point in stalling the inevitable. But with his dismissiveness, it makes me suddenly irritated by him. I don't let it bubble out though and ease it down with an annoyed roll of the eye instead.

"What are you doing?" I ask, breathing out to calm the irritation rising.

"Just standing."

I stare at him blankly. I wait for him to ellaborate but he stays silent. Not having it, I let out a constrained sigh, deciding to end this encounter and start to walk away.

"Where are you going?" I hear him call behind me.

"Anywhere where you aren't," I fire back.

"Where?"

"Africa," I say, still walking away.

"Now I know where you are going," he says, acting all smug.

I turn back around slowly, back towards him, fueling up with anger but keep it chill by only giving him a glare.

"Maybe Africa is a codeword for Japan," I reply, smiling with my mouth closed, acting smug right back.

"Now I know you're going to Japan," he says even smugger.

"Japan could be a codeword for Ireland, Jamaica, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Germany..." I say, frustration spilling out of me.

I start to walk away again, annoyance in me but then I feel a hand touch my wrist. Surprised by his grasp, I jerk away, looking up at him.

"Don't touch me!"

He then turns around and starts walking away himself.

"Where are you going?" I ask, feeling confused and mad.

"Japan," he says, still walking away, down the deserted hallway.

"Very funny." I roll my eyes and decide to just leave but before I do, I see him turning back towards me, no longer walking, he stands still, watching me in confusion, which gets me confused too.

Maybe he could sense me leaving?

"Where are you going?" He asks for the fifth time today.

Ugh!

"Japan!" I say, raising my arms up in defeat.

Looking at him standing there, making me feel lost for a moment with our unbreakable eye contact that only makes me more confused as I feel suddenly tired from this stupid banter. I want to turn around but my body isn't moving.

He's staring at me, and I'm staring at him.

"Well... Go!" He ushers.

I turn away immediately, which gets me out of my small trance, whipping me back into my right mind but for some reason, that only makes me want to turn back around to him, so I do.

The moment I do so, I begin to speed walk towards him until I find myself right in front of him.

"What are you doing?" He asks, confusion clear in his eyes.

"I'm going to class," I tell him, determined.

I step with one foot forward to get to the door but he blocks me. I try the other side but he blocks me again.

I step back, huffing, but I contain my irritation with the small patience I still have. I'm acting weirdly calm.

Stepping close to him once more, trying to play out my plan right this time, it fails as I realize we're so close.

So close, I feel completely lost with our proximity, I don't know if I'm breathing as I look up from his chest to his eyes... I could kiss him right now.

The thought surprises me and my eyes widen in response.

Why am I feeling this unexpected rush of emotions just settling into me when I'm around him, with his confused stare looking right back into mine?

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"Looking at your eyes." The words slip from my mouth.

Silence occurs, comforting really, as we stare at each other.

His eyes entrance me, they're more beautiful than I thought. He has a little tint of green in them, not only a deep brown that I've noticed in the past, I've only ever seen him from afar.

I hear his chuckle, snapping the connection away.

"What?" I ask, another snap of a sound interrupting our moment.

"Nothing," he says, "I just never knew you had eyes,"

What a stupid thing to say.

I step back, getting back to my first plan; to get to class, and try to walk past him, but he doesn't let me.

"I knew you had eyes," he explains, trying to reassure me.

I look at him again, taking one last look at his eyes. Getting a little closer, I could kiss him, literally I could. He steps closer too. I smile and so does he.

A peaceful feeling comes to me, entering through both of us as our knowing calmness spills out with our gazes and warm smile, no jokes or lies, but sincere and true.

"I have to go," I inform, not sounding serious at all.

He doesn't seem to have heard, all he is doing is staring at me.

"To class," I whisper.

He still doesn't move.

"You mean Japan?" He asks.

Looking straight through me, I watch as he smiles at his own joke, a sweet and adorable smile that curves up on his probably soft cheeks. 

I step back.

"Ya, to Japan," I agree, making this moment end as I turn around but he has caught my arm too quickly. We're in the same position we were in earlier.

"Bye," I say. He's confused by my words, but before he can register them, I knee him in the balls and open the door. Ignoring the peace I felt with him, my feisty side has come out and I finally enter the classroom.